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B.C seeing higher intensity wildfires than normal

May 28, 2018 11:41 am

B.C Wildfire Service keeping an eye on the forecasts, with more aggressive than usual blazes popping up around the province.

Speaking on the Jim Harrison Show, Chief Information Officer for the B.C Wildfire Service, Kevin Skrepnek, says the number of fires they’re responded to so far is normal, but the intensity of them, is not.

“And how quickly they’ve grown to some fairly large sizes, is more of a pattern than we would expect say, 5 weeks from now, later into the summer. And of course, that’s everything to do with the fact that we’re seeing some unseasonably hot and dry weather.”

Skrepnek says, since April 1st this year, B.C has had 227 wildfires, with a mix of causes.

“We’re at about, confirmed right now, in the neighbourhood of 140 of those 227 fires have been human caused.”

Skrepnek adds, the cold front coming in for the area this week could help, but what has them concerned is possible wind fueling the blazes currently burning.